Though there are currently two principles for assessing and monitoring aromas and odours, neither of these can guarantee adequate information to solve a persistent problem: human sensory and instrumentation. Leading the way in developing alternate methods is provider and innovator of permeation testing instruments and laboratory services, Mocon. In the white paper entitled ‘A better approach to assessing and monitoring aromas and odours’, the company presents another approach that could offer effective solutions to a range of odour problems.
One of the traditional methods involves sensory panels. These are, however, only effective in identifying and classify ingaromas and odours for compounds in concentrations above odour thresholds. Anything under might go unnoticed. The second method is called the instrument only approach. Only when given enough analytical or statistical computational power, can this approach can be used for routine odour assessment or crisis driven problem solving.
The third, newer approach is Multi Dimensional Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry-Olfactometry (MDGC-MS-O) which forms an effective bridge between the two extremes. This is a combined instrument and olfactory approach which indentifies both the compound and the aroma or odour simultaneously, and then uses human sensory assessment to direct the subsequent critical instrument correlations. To view the whitepaper, click here.
